A method of making a tying and fastening device



I). 15, 1959 H. w. PATTERSON 2,917,423

METHOD OF MAKING A TYING AND FASTENING DEVICE Filed Sept. 16, 1953 Eyf IINVENTOR. flawnaw l4! Evie/Jon United States Patent A METHOD MAKINGAT'ITYING AND FASTENING. DEVICE.

Herman W. Patterson, O'verlandPark, Kans. Application September16,1953,.SerialNo. 380,449 4 Claims. or; 154-116 This invention relates tonew-and"useful 'improvements in tying and fastening devices andmethods'of making the same, and relates-particularlyto tying andfastening devices of the type comprising an elongated endless'band'ofelastic material having an enlarged head" at one end thereof adapted tobe pulledthrough and secured intne loop at the opposite end of theba-ndafter said band' has been wrapped about an object or objects'to'besecured.

The primary object of the present invention is' the provision, in adevice of the character described, of a head so formed as to lock itselfsecurely in the loop portion of the band.

A further object is the provision of a device of the character describedwherein the head is, for purposes of economy, formed integrally withor'of'the same'material as the band, and" whichis planar aud disposed inthe plane of the band, but which nevertheless, havingbeen inacterdescribed wherein the head'is'composed of relatively I movable partswhich are operable by the tension of; the band when in its operativeposition-to" grip the, lo'opfp'ortion' of theband, wherebysaid' headis"further*secured in theloop.

Still another object isthe' provision: of a method" for producing afastening device of the character? described from a' strip offiatrubberstock.

A still further object is the provision of a method whereby the head,although integral with or formed of hte same material as the band, isrendered stiffer and more rigid than the band, whereby the head isrendered less likely to pull through the loop of the band.

With these objects in view, as well as other objects which will appearin the course of the specification, ref erence will be had to thedrawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a tying and fastening deviceembodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is an edge View of the device as shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the device shown in Figs. 1 and 2, shownarranged in operative position with the head inserted through the loop.

Figs. 4 and 5 are views similar to Fig. 1, showing two modified forms ofthe device.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary view similar to Fig.

1, showing the head portion of still another modified form of thestructure.

Fig. 7 is a view showing in operative engagement the head and loopportions of the device shown in Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 6 showing still another modified formof the structure.

Like reference numerals apply to similar parts throughout the severalviews, and the numeral 2 designates a narrow strip of rubber or otherelastic material arranged to form an endless elongated ring or band,said strip being folded at one end of the band to form what willhereinafter be designated loop 4, and the opposite reaches 2,,51ZAZ3Patented Dec. 15, 1959 df the strip being brought into approximatelyparallel relation-ata point spaced apart from the loop and securedtogether.

Referring firstto Figs. 1 to' 3, thestripsr are cemented or otherwisesecured at 6. The head 8 comprises a pair of flat," substantiallycircular knobs 10 disposed in the plane of the band and respectively atopposite sides of the connection 6. As shown said knobs are formed byextensions of the; endsof' strip 2 beyond connections 6, said extensionsbeing rolled into tight spirals, said spirals being secured byvulcanization or introducing a layer of cement or the like between theconvolutions thereof.

For a purpose hereinafter appearing, it is desirable also thattheconnection dand the securingmeans in the spirals be such as to renderthe knobs harder, stifier, and morev rigid than the remainder "of theband; This-may be done, in the case of vulcanization, by'applying avulcanizing agent such' as sulphur to the surfacesto be joinedbefore'the heat and-pressure is applied, or by using a hardeningcement,. or otherwise. The dveice may advant'ageously be formed by firstrolling the longitudinal edge'portions of" a flat rubber strip toproduce the knobs, thenfb'lding the strip longitudinally to bring theknobs into substantially tangential relationship, making the connectiong and, then'severing the resulting tubular member'ihto' the desiredshort? lengths.

The knobs 10'; being substantially circular, provide a V'-no'tch'12between eacl'rknob and the adjacent reach of strip"- forming; loop. 4',said notches opening toward 100 4.:

'ln usejthe liandis wrapped, for example, about a bunch of vegetables tobe secured together, in the general form shown in Fig. 3 and the head 8is pulled through loop 4, the knobs 10 of the head being arrangedrespectively outside the opposite reaches of strip 2 forming said loop,as shown. In this position, the head is securely anchored in the loop,and will not pull out. The opposite reaches of the loop are engaged innotches 12. This prevents the head from turning into theplane of. theopening of the loop, in which position,:it could conceivably pull out ofthe loop accidentally. The hardening orStifienirig of the headas'described above serves to reduce deformation of the head by thepressure exerted thereinby loop 4; and hence to reduce still further anypossibility that it will pull through the loop.

The modified structure shown in Fig. 4 is substantially similar to thatshown in Figs. 1 to 3 except that the knobs of the head 8 are formed bya pair of flat circular discs 14 of rubber or the like, the extended endportions 16 of strip 2 being wrapped part way around the peripheraledges of said discs and secured thereto by vulcaniza- I that of the Fig.1 species.

In the modification shown in Fig. 5, the end portions of strip 2 areparallel and lie together, being cemented or vulcanized along line 18.The flat rubber members 20 forming the knobs are each provided with astraight edge, said straight edges being vulcanized or cemented to theopposite sides of the joined portions of strip 2, along lines 22, andhaving curved edge portions forming V- notches 12 in conjunction withthe adjacent portion of loop 4. The operation of this species issubstantially the same as those previously described, except that theconnection of the knob members 20 to the strip 2 along relativelyextended lines renders less likely the possibility that the knobs willroll together upwardly, or away from their point of connection with theloop 4, under the pressure exerted thereon by the loop during use. It ishence less necessary with this species to use means as describeda,b17,42a

above for stiffening or hardening the knobs, although such means may beused if desired.

t will be understood that in the species shown in both Fig. 4 and Fig;5, the added knob members 14 and 20 may be of a material initiallyharder and stiffer than strip 2 if a stiffer head is desired. However,joining the knobs to strip 2 by the stifieningmethod already de scribedsupplies stiffness along the lines subjected to main stresses duringactual use, and will be sufficient in most cases. It will be apparentalso that the species of Fig. 4 and Fig. 5 are adapted to be produced bya process utilizing a continuous fiat strip of rubber, the members 14 or20 being secured to the strip in the form of a continuous cord beforebeing severed into lengths equal to the thickness-of the finished band.

The modification shown in Figs. 6 and 7 is substantially the same asthat of Fig. 1, except that the portions of strip my product andprocess, it is apparent that other minor changes could be made withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention, and I therefore reserverights to all such modifications or alterations as fall properly withinthe scope of the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is: 1

1. The process of producing a tying and fastening device comprisingsecuring an enlarged, rubber cord along each longitudinal edge of a fiatrubber strip, folding said strip longitudinally to bring said cords intojuxtaposition on the outside of the tubular member produced by said 4strip, joining the edges of said strip along a line between 2 formingthe outer convolutions of knobs 10, instead of being cemented orvulcanized directly together as at 6 in Fig. 1 are joined respectivelyto the opposite faces of a small rubber block 24 along the lines 26.Thus when the head 8 is passed through the loop 4, the opposite reachesof said loop adjacent the head will be forced together just beneathblock 24. This, as shown in Fig. 7, rolls the knobs downwardly or towardthe immediately adjacent portions of loop 4, thereby closing theV-notches 12 to grip the loop 4 therein. This serves as a means forfurther securing the head against accidental disengagement from theloop. This species is otherwise the same in construction and operationas the Fig. 1 species, and it may be fabricated by the same process,with of course the modification that the block 24 is then added in theform of a rubber strip or bar between the rolled edge portions 28,corresponding to block 24 in Figs. 6 and 7, is shaped 3 to conform tothe contour of the spiral knobs 10 around approximately 90 degrees oftheir circumference, whereby to provide support for knobs 10 againstoutward movement when pressure is exerted thereon by loop 4, as-,de-

scribed in connection with the Fig. 5 species. Also, block 28 isprovided with an outwardly extending tab 30 which serves as a convenientfinger grip for pulling the head through the loop. I

While I have shown and described spec fic examples of said cords,and'severing the resulting tubular structure into short lengths.

2. The process as set forth inclaim 1 wherein the joining of said cordsto said strip, and the joining of the edge portions of said strip, areaccomplished by vulcanization in the presence of a rubber hardeningagent, whereby the zones 'of juncture are rendered relatively stiff andhard as compared to the remaining portions of said cords.

3. The process as enumerated in claim 1 wherein said cords are formed byrolling the longitudinal edge portions of the rubber strip in spiralforms, said spiral forms being secured by vulcanization.

4. The process as set forth in claim 1 wherein the cords are formed byrolling the longitudinal edge portions of the rubber strip in spiralform and secured in rolled form by vulcanization after adding betweenthe convolutions thereof a rubber hardening agent.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 63,510Hall Apr. 2, 1867 235,515 1 Clough Dec. 14, 1880 1,155,239. Iasigi Sept.28, 1915 1,155,325 Miller Sept. 18, 1915 1,410,745 Gates Mar. 28, 1922 11,670,321 Tannewitz May 22, 1928 2,090,210 Lee Aug. 17, 1937 2,203,822Hyman June 11, 1940 2,422,188 Epstein June 17, 1947 2,427,305 Sander eta1. Sept. 9, 1947 2,469,849 Silver May 10, 1949 2,648,879 Patterson Aug.18, 1953

1. THE PROCESS OF PRODUCING A TYING AND FASTENING DEVICE COMPRISINGSECURING AN ENLARGED, RUBBER CORD ALONG EACH LONGITUDINAL EDGE OF A FLATRUBBER STRIP, FOLDING SAID STRIP LONGITUDINALLY TO BRING SAID CORDS INTOJUXTAPOSITION ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE TUBULAR MEMBER PRODUCED BY SAIDSTRIP, JOINING THE EDGES OF SAID STRIP ALONG A LINE BETWEEN SAID CORDS,AND SEVERING THE RESULTING TUBULAR STRUCTURE INTO SHORT LENGTHS.